The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-12-08
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A GREAT CURIOSITY.
Bones OF the Great AUX Received ~ III.
Smithsonian Institution.

Bones or the Great AUX Received at tie
Smithsonian Institution.
Several boxes and barrels Of bones
Of the great aux, bird that is now
believed to be extinct. have been re-
ccived at the Smithsonian Institution
from the Banks Of Newfoundland. The
great aux was notable in size. As II
stood or sat erect it was over two feet
high. 1t had strong bill or beak,s
something III the shape Of the razor.
bill. One Of its pecnllarities, and the
one to which it is indebted for its final.
extinction, was the rcdiculously small
wings. These wings were useless for.
purposes of flight. but were used for.
swimming purposes The great aux was
powerful swimmer. With its web
feet in motion in the rcarlike propel-
Ter, and its wings beating rapidly. IL
would literally fly through the water.
making such speed that powerful oars
men in boat could not ovcrtake it..
But ashore it was clumsy and stupid
creature.
Before Europeans sought the Amer
lean coast the savages, it is believeds
hunted the helpless birds until they
were driven 10 the rocks and ISL
ands far out At sea, inaccessible to
the Indians, with their primitive
means Of navigation. But toward the
end Of the fifteenth century the bold
sailors Of northern Europe began max
ing expeditions into the waters where
the great uks kept their yigils on the
rocks, and the war of determination be-
gan. Early writer's describe these birds
as found in great number. On shore they
fell easy prey to the mariners. Some
times plank was laid from the ship
to the rocky island. ora sail was ,preal
out like a bridge, and over this the
birds were driven aboard like 80 many
geese. Or they were driven into pen
and slaughtered with sticks. In suclh
numbers were they found that ships
sent to the fishing banks were only
scantily supplied with provisions, the
dependence for supplies being upon
the great auks which nature had pro-
vided in such abundance.
| The last authentic record OF the
great auks having been seen alive was
in 1874, when two were captured in
! Iceland. In 1852, one is said to have
been seen alive on the Newfoundland
banks. and, in 1858. 4 dead one-per-
haps the last of his race-was report
cd as found in Trinity bay; but
Symington Groves thinks all reported
observations since 1911 are mis-
takes. So many years have elapsed
since it is positively known one
was seen alive, that all hope
has died that any have escaped
the great destruction. As it frequent
cd isolated situations, for the sake of
security. little is known of its habits.
1t laid but one egg, and this was de-
posted on the bare rock. Thus.
scanty provision was made by nature.
to repay the losses caused by the
wholesale destruction Of the harmless
and helpless birds. The great aux
| wa.ldled from, its rocky nest in mn
! calmly fashion to the brink, sometimes
tumbling into the water from quite II
height, but, once in the water. it was
rs graceful rs a yacht, propelling it,
self rapidly. 1t fei upon small fish.
which it caught with great dcNterity.
Il - Uushin0f0n .Sfur